


Supper with the Pilot

by SteveDuck



Series: Travels with The Pilot [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Flashbacks, Major Cannon Divergence - post A Single Pale Rose, Only a bit of shipping, Original Character(s), Spoilers for Episode: s05e18 A Single Pale Rose, Technical Cannon Divergence - post Hit the Diamond, for now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-03-09 18:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18922408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveDuck/pseuds/SteveDuck
Summary: Steven and Peridot take a walk to clear their heads after discovering Rose's identity. They find themselves staying the night at Connie's house. Just before they can have supper however, they are interrupted by an unusual, if not unknown, guest.This is the first fanfiction I've posted so feedback is apreciated.





	1. Temporary Accommodation

It had been a long and stressful day for Steven, after the revelation of his mother’s true identity, the gems had driven his house into chaos. While relieved, Pearl had quickly started crying after the explanation to the others knowing that they felt she had betrayed them, Amethyst was confused and angry, not at Pearl, but she was expressing this mainly through yelling. Garnet had taken it the worst surprisingly, or perhaps not that surprisingly considering how she had come to be. She had split apart with Sapphire running away and warping off to who knows where. Ruby was left almost catatonic with grief and loneliness.

  
Peridot, who had been living/hiding in Steven’s bathroom after Lapis had taken the barn away, had quietly crept out of her temporary sanctum and grabbed the boy by the shoulder. “whilst I am alarmed at recent developments,” she hissed, “I think it is necessary that we locate ourselves away from here until everyone has calmed down enough to fix this.”

  
Pearl, who had managed to overhear the green gem’s advice, gave a small, sad nod to Steven to follow the instructions.

  
As the pair were walking down the road past the recently reopened Big Doughnut, Peridot looked over to Steven. “Do you have any idea where we could set up our temporary base camp?”

  
Steven, who was still quite shaken by the scene at the temple shook himself out of his stupor and put his finger to his lip. “Not that I’ve given it much thought, but I always thought that if something happened at the temple I’d stay with my dad.” Peridot looked to him with some small amount of renewed confidence but frowned again as he continued, “But I think it would be a bit of a squeeze to fit the three of us in his van.”

  
“In light of the current situation, exceeding the expected capacity of this ‘van’ might be a required sacrifice.” Peridot hopped onto a nearby bench. “If need be I could stand outside.”

  
Steven sat beside the short gem and managed to smile gently. “I’m not going to ask you to stand outside Peridot.” They looked up at the gray clouds in the sky, both aware that it would probably rain soon. “If anyone should be outside it would be me, I can make a bubble after all.”

  
The gem’s voice was incredulous. “What sort of gem would I be if I left my diamond exposed to the elements!”

  
Worry filled Steven. “Peridot! I know my mom was Pink Diamond but that doesn’t mean you have to treat me differently. I’m still your friend.”

  
Visored eyes gazed back at him. “I haven’t mastered the ‘tone’ part of a ‘joke’ yet, have I?”

  
Despite himself, the boy laughed.

  
Seeing her success, Peridot continued, “If I actually considered you a diamond, I think we both know what I’d say.”

  
“What’s that?”

  
“You clod!” She playfully shoved him.

  
The pair of them laughed on the bench for a bit before their present situation caught up to them again and they were swallowed up by their fear and confusion. Just before one of them could try to lighten the mood again or suggest they get moving a familiar green and white car pulled up in front of them, the passenger-side window rolled down and Connie stuck her head out. “We were just driving by when we saw you guys sitting here like this, are you okay?”

  
Steven was about to answer when the gem sat next to him burst out, “we are absolutely not okay! Steven and I are the only ones in the temple with our gems on straight since we found out-“

  
Steven placed his hand on Peridot’s shoulder to prevent her from revealing the secret of the millennia to every passing individual in Beach city. “I’ll explain later Connie.”

  
Worried but understanding Steven’s desire for privacy she let it go for the moment. “Okay, but what are you going to do now?”

  
“Steven’s ‘dad’ apparently has temporary accommodation we can utilize.” Peridot explained.

  
“Won’t it be cramped with three of you in the van?”

  
“I was thinking the same thing,” Steven noted, “but we’ll make do.”

  
Connie’s father, Doug, who had until now been silently listening in the driver’s seat was concerned. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Greg, in fact he now respected the man greatly, but a van didn’t seem to be a great place for these two to be sleeping tonight, especially considering the emotions they must be feeling to drive them out of their home. He leaned forward and spoke up, “Why don’t you come stay with us?” He asked.

  
His daughter turned to him. “Can they really do that?”

 

“Considering the situation, of course! And it’s hardly the first time Steven has stayed over, I’ll call Greg when we get back, just so he knows what’s going on.”

  
At that moment raindrops started to fall, the pair on the bench looked to each other and nodded, Steven gave their answer. “As long as it’s not too much trouble.”

  
“No trouble at all! Now hop in before you get soaked!”

  
The pair practically ran into the back seats of the car and buckled up, with Steven having to show his friend how to operate a seatbelt. As they drove off Connie asked, “So what is it the gems are upset about?”

  
Steven began to explain all the events of that day, from meeting Lapis again to the dream to confronting Pearl and the discoveries he had made as a result. Doug almost had trouble keeping his eyes on the road as Steven spoke of Pink Diamond and her identity, although he knew little of the gem’s history. He did eventually manage to get them home, when he unlocked the door to his house the little green gem slipped by him inside with something that might have been a ‘thank you’ before disappearing into the house. “Sorry about her, she’s kinda new to earth customs.” Steven smiled.

  
Doug followed the gem’s footsteps with his ears, guessing she was in the kitchen. There was a gasp followed by the familiar voice of his wife. “Who on earth are you!”

  
“Connie’s dad? I think your house has been invaded!” Peridot called out.

  
Thankfully Connie, Doug and Steven managed to straighten out the situation and get Priyanka up to speed where she almost immediately agreed with her husband’s judgment.

  
Being used to making herself at home in new places quickly Peridot almost immediately started asking the doctor questions about almost every appliance in the room and Doug had went off to call Steven’s father, leaving Steven and Connie to their own devices. “So Steven I got the unfamiliar familiar game recently. It’s really cool, one person gets to play as Lisa and the other one is Archimicarus, and the studio actually managed to make it work! Do you want to play with me?

  
“Sure!”

  
As the pair turned to leave the kitchen Connie’s mother managed to break out of her conversation with Peridot long enough to call out, “Your door stays open!”

  
Whilst the comment confused Steven, the rule being referred to was all too clear for Connie who tried to hide her blush as she replied, “I know, mom!”

  
Up in Connie’s room the two played her new game for a while before Connie noticed that Steven’s heart wasn’t in it. She hit the pause button and turned to her friend. “What’s happening at the temple still getting to you?”

  
He nodded. “Pearl’s been holding onto all of that for ages and I don’t think she quite knows how to handle having let it go, Amethyst was never good at this sort of situation and I haven’t seen Garnet fall apart like that since Pearl tricked her into forming Sardonyx! Was I wrong to run away from all that? What if they need me?”

  
“Your feelings matter to, Steven.” Connie replied tenderly, “How are you dealing with this, with your mother being Pink Diamond?”

  
“I don’t know. I sorta flew off the handle at Peridot when she called me Pink Diamond as part of a joke.” He looked down, slightly ashamed. “I’m just scared people will treat me differently if they know my mom was a diamond.”

  
“I won’t treat you any differently.” Connie assured him, shuffling a little closer.

  
“Really?”

  
“Really.” She replied as she held onto his hand for comfort. “I don’t think the diamonds are the most important things in the universe anyway, not to me at least.”

  
Steven smiled. “what is the most important thing for you?”

  
The young teens looked into each other’s eyes neither had realized quite how close they had gotten, both literally now and in terms of the bonds they had developed over the course of knowing each other, Connie was about to answer when a shriek echoed from downstairs. “Steven! The blue clod’s back!”

  
Almost immediately Steven was bolting down the stairs, excited but also worried for the state of his friend. “Peridot! You shouldn’t talk about Sapphire like tha-“

  
Through the window standing on the driveway of the Maheswaran residence, Steven saw the individual to whom Peridot was referring. It was not Sapphire.


	2. The Pilot Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie's parents meet (another) unusual friend of hers.

“What’s Pilot doing here?” Steven pondered aloud. Sure, he showed up unannounced occasionally but usually such visits were more accidental, when he wanted to visit he would usually call in advance, although he did seem a little bit lost.

Seemingly oblivious to the rain and five people watching him through the window the Pilot flicked his fingers to reveal a tightly folded roadmap which he unfolded. Several passersby stared at him as he studied the map, for his attire was quite unusual.

He stood slightly shorter than the average human, with a lithe, slim body. Not much of him was visible however for he was covered head to foot in a spacesuit unlike any other, unlike the suits used by the human space programs this suit was tight and formfitting allowing completely unrestricted movement, most of the suit was black with many tiny matching ceramic plates covering the suppler material underneath, neon blue lines traced their way all over the suits meeting and diverging in blue and silver nodes. The helmet's faceplate was a black screen with a thin blue soundwave gently resonating across it.

Satisfied he had his bearings, he folded up the beaten map and closed his hand around it. The map seemed to vanish, one of the many tricks Steven was used to Pilot performing. Pilot then turned and began walking up to the door.

The two adults had joined the youths and gem at the window, Priyanka looked down to Peridot and asked, “You know them?”

“Know them? That pebble broke my drill and almost destroyed my barn!” A small twinge of sadness crossed her face as she remembered that her barn had now been taken entirely along with her closest friend on the entire planet.

Concern washed over Priyanka’s face before Steven clarified. “He crashed. Pilot is actually a pretty nice guy.”

“Sometimes he helps Pearl with sword practice.” Connie added.

Her mother pursed her lips for a moment before deciding. “Well I guess we can’t leave one of your tutors out in the rain.” She opened the door and called out to him. “Hello! Are you all right?”

The individual in the spacesuit looked up. “Hello there, I’m looking for the Maheswaran’s?”

“You found them, would you like to come inside?” Pilot gave a thankful nod and stepped under the terrace of the small porch, out of the rain. Priyanka raised her hand to stop him from entering further. “Oh you’re soaked, Doug honey, could you get him a towel or something.”

“No need Ma’am.” Their guest insisted, pulling a large black towel out from where a pocket would be on conventional clothing and beginning to quickly rub the majority of the water off his suit. “A good explorer always knows where his towel is.” His helmet briefly displayed a smiling face on the screen.

As he was drying off the short green figure of Peridot stepped out in front of the doctor and folded her arms. “What do you want?” There was a slightly venomous edge to her question but it was fair considering the uncomfortable way they had met.

“Ah! Peridot, just the gem I wanted!” Before she could respond he continued, “Sorry again about crashing into your drill but I’ve been looking all over for you. You left someone at the temple.” He whistled sharply towards the bushes.

With not a small amount of barking and panting a familiar round orange pet practically charged towards her owner. “Pumpkin!” Peridot cried happily, she squatted down and embraced her beloved gourd. “Oh my stars! You are covered in water!” The Pilot held out his towel and Peridot almost thanked him before remembering herself and snatching the towel away and virtually engulfing Pumpkin in it.

“I was on the beach when I saw her sitting out in front of the temple.” Pilot explained, “I knocked on the door but no one was in, so I left a note and asked around town, Greg said you’d be here.”

Realizing how long her guest had been standing on the porch, Priyanka reasserted her position in the conversation. “Well thank you very much, would you like to come in.” She gestures to the sofa on the opposite side of the room.

Practically the moment she and Peridot had stepped out of the doorway Pilot vanished leaving rapidly fading trails of neon blue light tracing through the air into the house, following the trails they found Pilot sitting on the sofa, visibly nonchalant despite the helmet. Registering the surprise on the adults faces and disapproval on the ones who knew him he quickly apologized. “Warp suit, acts on impulse. I guess I was just excited, not often strangers invite me in.”

Doug was the first to sit down across from him. “Connie said you helped in her training sometimes.”

“I do, sometimes. Not so much the swordsmanship stuff, I’m more martial artist myself. I help with tactics and analytical skills.”

“Analytical skills? I’m guessing you don’t mean her math homework.”

Pilot laughed at this. “No! I’m probably a worse mathematician than she is, in fact I think we have empirical proof of that somewhere. What I’m talking about is being able to determine the nature of the situation from the environment.”

“Like a detective.” Connie added.

“For example, I’m guessing something big was discovered at the temple and the gems aren’t taking it well.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Doug inquired.

Pilot’s voice took on the tone the teens recognized immediately, the one he put on when explaining his observations, fast and densely worded. “Greg’s language suggested the possibility of Steven staying overnight, the absence of an overnight bag suggests this arrangement to have been made quickly, therefore something that could harm Steven and Peridot is present in the temple. Physical harm? No. The Gems would have dealt with any physical threats to Steven’s well-being immediately and if they couldn’t the whole of Beach City would’ve been evacuated by now, therefore emotional pain. Theory is further supported by Steven’s emotional state, Steven has yet to greet me or ask me how I am as he usually does, there were other hints in the temple, but now isn’t the time.” He stepped over to Steven, who had drifted off into his own world of worry, and knelt down. “So what’s eating you?”

For a long time, Steven was silent, then he confessed, “My mom is, was… Pink diamond. My mom lied to everybody except Pearl.”

“Condensation…” Pilot muttered absentmindedly.

“What?”

Suddenly realizing that explaining would make light of the situation Pilot decided to go another direction. Clicking the tabs on the side of his head he removed his helmet. His slender gray face smiled gently as his darker gray, medium length hair fell back into place over his pointed ears. There was the ever-present scar beneath his left eye, extending like a black web to his cheek bone. Pilot studied Steven’s face for the best words to console him, “where you come from isn’t what makes you who you are, it’s what you do with that start. I know you get words along those lines a lot Steven but take it from me, when I was a child I had no idea I was going to be anything like this.” His mind drifted briefly as some of the darker memories tried to assert themselves, but, remembering Steven, his lips curled into a smile, “I didn’t even know I was going to be a guy!” He laughed gently and Steven laughed with him out of politeness. As he got up he turned to the rest of the room. “I’m guessing you have questions.”

Priyanka nodded her head. “You… clearly aren’t a gem so how did you come to know Steven and my daughter?”

“Now that is a story.” He replied.


	3. Meeting the Pilot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having just saved the earth from the cluster, Steven was ready for life to settle down. There would be one more interruption however.

Now that the cluster had been bubbled, Lapis was safe and the Rubies had been thoroughly misled, Steven at least felt like he could relax. With the threat of the cluster dealt with, Pearl had made Connie’s sword practice a more regular event so she had left for the temple early so that she could take Connie to the sky arena. Steven would’ve went with her but he had decided that he wanted to make sure that Peridot and Lapis settled into their new home comfortably. Lapis was in the barn trying to find some peace after the harrowing months she had spent at the bottom of Earth’s ocean. Garnet lent against the barn door keeping an eye on her. Steven decided to let Lapis rest and went to investigate what Peridot was doing. 

Out in front of the barn Peridot was giving a demonstration of the drill that had carried her and Steven to the cluster to a slightly bemused Amethyst. “And I know that the resources could be better used elsewhere but it seems a shame to dismantle the tool with which I, the brave and benevolent Peridot, saved the earth with! So, I thought maybe you could use your ranking to help me convince the others to,”

Steven chuckled slightly as he approached. “Peridot, you’re not on homeworld anymore. If you want to keep the drill were not going to make you take it apart. I think I’d like to keep it in one piece to, for memory’s sake. I’m sure the gems will agree.”

“Yeah dude!” Amethyst added. “No one is gonna mess with your stuff!” She looked up contently but tensed slightly as her eyes locked on the sky. “Whoa! What’s that?”

The two at her side looked where she was pointing. “A shooting star?” Steven theorized.

“Negative.” Peridot answered. “Comets are not this visible during the day. It is likely a meteorite or similar object that managed to enter the atmosphere.”

“Whatever it is it’s coming this way!” The purple gem yelled. Realizing she was right the three scrambled away hurriedly.

“Wait! Something is slowing it down!” Steven exclaimed, sure enough a bright neon blue light started to form around the object as it slowed down to a less threatening but still fast dissent. It was now close enough to make out its humanoid figure. “I, I think it’s a person! We have to catch them!”

Before Steven or anyone else could intervene however the individual hit the top of the drill with a metallic thunk and what could’ve possibly been a crack. As they bounced off the top of the drill pod and onto the ground the trio rushed to their aid. The individual wore a spacesuit of sorts and was laying very still, the lower portion of their right leg was bent slightly out of position. “Are they alive?” Amethyst asked.

“Gems could survive a fall from that height but their appearance modifier makes it hard to determine species.”

Steven crept up to the motionless body. “Dude, be careful!” The purple quartz hissed.

Slowly Steven reached for the helmet when the owners hand sprung up and stopped him. “You don’t want to see what’s under there.”

He released the boy’s hand and sat up, grasping his leg in both hands. “Your leg’s broken!” Steven exclaimed. “Let me-“

“Thanks for your concern kid. Pin!” The man lurched forward as his leg righted itself. He stood up and looked over the three before him. “Let’s see what we have here. A pair of light based beings and a human hybrid? Fascinating! Familial relationship and you’re the new addition.” He pointed towards the green gem before turning to the drill. “Newly acquired means to travel deep underground, made on low resources in an urgent timeframe,” he picked a piece of dirt off the drill head and rubbed it between his fingers. “Mission completed recently. Probable goal? Save the earth. Mission success I assume?”

“Uh? Yeah, I don’t understand how you know that we did just stop the cluster.” Steven answered. “How did you fix your leg?”

“I didn’t fix it, intermuscular pins holding it together, still not comfortable.”

“Then you should let me fix it!” The half gem insisted.

“I’d love to, but I don’t have time. I have to find my, oh.” He looked into the sky above him.

Just then Garnet charged from the barn. “Get out the way!” Her arms extended as she took Steven and Peridot in her grip before reeling them back toward her.

“Good advice lady!” The man in the spacesuit replied grabbing the remaining gem.

If it had not been for the sudden rush of wind Amethyst would of thought that the two of them had simply disappeared from their present location and reappeared several yards away. Her savior’s extreme speed had moved her out of danger with enough time to see what seemed to be a black and blue UFO with large thrusters on the back graze the top of the barn and utterly flatten the drill.

“My drill!” Peridot screamed as she wriggled free of the fusion’s grasp and ran towards the ship in fury.

“Axi?” The person in the spacesuit called as he ran back to the crash site. “Are you all right?”

A speaker from some hidden part of the ship buzzed into life, “No external damage has been recorded. I told you, I haven’t recalibrated the flight response yet.” A motherly voice chided.

The man rested a hand on the ship’s hull and hung his head. “I know Axi. It’s all my fault.”

Peridot’s whole body snapped in his direction. “You! You did this? You clumsy, inelegant clod! Look at what you did to my drill you brute!”

Although he would usually apologize there were other things on the visitor’s mind. “Okay we have to make up for lost time let’s go!”

“I’m afraid we can’t Pilot, the flight response was completely wiped in the crash, I’ll have to rewrite it, which will take a day at best.”

Pilot put his hands to his head and rocked back slightly before turning to the now approaching Steven and rushing over to him. “There’s a ruin up in the sky, some sort of Coliseum. Do you know it?”

“The sky arena?”

“Sounds about right. I need to get up there, someone needs my help.”

Realizing that two of the most important people in his life were currently at the arena Steven gained the Pilot’s sense of urgency and before anyone else could stop or join him he had led Pilot to the nearest warp pad and warped them both away.

Floating through the warp Steven addressed his guest. “It will take a little while to get there.” The Pilot nodded in reply. A few moments passed before Steven asked, “Do you think it will be dangerous there?”

“Yes,” Pilot replied. “Nothing I can’t handle though.”

“If it’s going to be dangerous I should fix your leg, it won’t take long.”

The screen on the Pilot’s helmet took on a quizzical look. “Really? Alright then.”

There was a momentary awkward silence. “I… Need to be able to touch your leg.”

“Oh right.” With a few presses of some cleverly hidden tabs the leg section of the spacesuit came off revealing the gray, toned leg underneath.

There were a few holes in the leg from where the pins had been inserted and evidence of scarring from where this had been done before. “Do you break your leg often?”

“Occupational hazard.” Putting the further questions raised in a mental box for later Steven licked his hand and placed it on to his patient’s leg. The bone reset itself, the holes closed and the scarring disappeared. “Thanks buddy!”

“My name’s Steven.” The boy replied.

“Well I’m the Pilot, Pilot if you not feeling formal.” He shook the boy’s hand.

After another pause while the Pilot put his suit’s leg back on Steven asked, “What are you?”

“Hm?”

“You have gray skin, so you’re not human, but gems don’t get stuff like broken legs, they just poof.”

“Gems being the race your friends were?”

“Yep.”

“I’m a kelmep, there aren’t many of us around so you aren’t likely to see one of us again unless I come back to visit. We’re not aliens but we might as well be.”

At that moment solid ground appeared beneath them, lots of experience had allowed Steven to remain on his feet but Pilot ended up landing on his face.

As the Pilot got up and prepared to run up the steps he realized that the boy was following him. “Steven, I don’t want to have to protect both you and this person, you should go back and,” he stopped as he saw the pink shield materialize in the half gem’s hand. “Or you can ignore all that and watch my back.”

Steven managed to get ahead of the Pilot holding his shield in front of him, expecting the malevolent forces to attack at any moment. “Oh Steven, perfect timing! We just started another round.” Pearl chimed. She called to her other student. “Nice form Connie! Someone’s joining in the fight so watch your sword!”

Steven realized the case of mistaken identity almost immediately, in the fog of the arena he could make out Connie training against about 12 holo-Pearls, to someone not aware of the teacher-student relationship it could look a lot like a malicious attack. Before Steven could relay this information to him Pilot vaulted over his shield and into the fray.

Alarmed, Pearl demanded, “Steven! Who is that?”

“He calls himself the Pilot, he thinks-“

Pearl clapped her hand to her mouth and looked at the new individual in shock. She raised her saber.

In the arena the Pilot managed to dive onto one of the training holograms, slamming it into the ground where it vanished.

If Pearl hadn’t drilled the importance of keeping her wits about her so hard Connie would likely have stood in complete shock, she instead took the opening she had been half way through creating on another hologram to slice through it. “I was expecting someone else.” She stated.

“Just be glad I’m on your side.” Pilot looped around the flank of two holo-Pearls delivering a two-footed kick to their sides, elbowing a third in the gut as he rose. Finishing with an uppercut, all three had been eliminated.

Connie made some headway as well, although the Holo-Pearls did automatically adjust the difficulty depending on the number of combatants in the arena. She had managed to cut down two when she turned around to block a third she saw that a brief flash of light around its head had impaired its optic sensors enough to be easily defeated.

In Pilot’s eyes he had flicked the miniature flashbang at just the right moment. He threw a handful more at his two current opponents before deftly slamming their heads together. He backed away from the swing of two more blades finding himself next to the girl. Seeing the pair of remaining opponents he asked, “Shall we?”

“Of course.” Connie smiled, the combatants lunged forward striking the final two down.

Connie turned to her master expecting the usual compliments and criticisms but instead saw Pearl, blade readied, her face filled with anguish. “Step away from them!”

Her sparring partner stepped in front of her raising their fists in preparation, “I don’t know where you benefit attacking a little girl in your sky arena but we just defeated all of your guys what makes you think you’ll be any harder!”

If this had been one of Steven’s manga the word ‘doom’ would likely be floating above both Pilot’s and Pearl’s heads.

Connie got the Pilot’s attention, “Pearl wasn’t attacking me, she teaches me how to sword fight.”

Realizing all the clues he had missed the pilot rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and bowed. “I’m very sorry for interrupting I didn’t realize, I must say you are a very skilled trainer, it’s obvious in the skill of your student, even I felt pushed.”

“Why did you come back?” A still angry Pearl demanded, “You said you would never stick your crowbar in our business again.”


	4. Training Begins

“Come back?" Pilot asked. "I’ve never been here before, I don’t even have a crowbar.”

“You don’t?” Pearl inquired.

“No. Don’t think I ever have.”

Pearl’s eyes widened as she lowered her blade slightly. “Never owned a biplane have you?”

“Owned? No. Why?”

The gem lowered her sword fully and walked down the stairs. “I’m, I’m sorry. I think I mistook you for a different person. In hindsight you are a bit shorter than them.”

Steven gently pulled on his guardian’s sash, “Pearl? Who were you so angry at?”

She eyed her charge carefully before replying. “A human who fought in the gem war, he-“ her hand began to rise. “He insulted your mother and everything she had fought for.”

“Your tone suggests this war was a long time ago,” Pilot interrupted. “If he was human he’s probably dead, they’re not a very long-lived species.” He glanced over to Connie. “No offense.”

Pearl nodded in agreement. “I suppose you’re right. Sorry again for the confusion.”

“No problem.” Pilot replied sitting down on one of the steps. After a while he stated, “That was quite a training session Pearl, I haven’t been challenged like that in a while.”

Pearl smiled slightly at this as she felt her teaching instincts come back on. “well your evasion was spectacular, some of the best I’ve seen, your strikes were somewhat uncoordinated though, that said points for unpredictability.”

“Well a lot of my training was on the job, I suppose I could use some pointers.” An idea dawned on him. “If you wanted you could teach me some of what you know and I could show you and your pupils what I know.”

“Like what?” Pearl asked.

Pilot turned to Steven, who was now watching from one of the steps. “Steven? About how long ago did I first learn what a Gem is?”

“I told you on the warp over here, so about five minutes?”

“So, without prior knowledge I can tell that your kind is an artificially created, functionally immortal, interstellar species with a rigid caste system. You however are the remnants of a severely depleted but successful rebel army against the society. I know all of this through context clues I’ve taken in since crashing here a little while ago.”

“What clues?” The young girl asked from behind him.

Beneath the helmet Pilot grinned, it was the first time he was going to be able to show off these skills to someone, his voice began to speed up. “All of the individual I’ve met so far bar,” he gestured towards the girl.

“Connie.” She said.

“Bar Connie considered themselves under the same species, despite this there is wildly varied physiology’s, therefore physiological adaption to different tasks. Green Gem displayed features and emotional responses correct for a technician. A physiological group for working with machines wouldn’t have evolved naturally, artificial creation then. As for the society, clearly not from Earth, the technology to keep this arena aloft alone is far too advanced. Going back to function you are teaching advanced combat despite the fact you clearly weren’t made for combative roles, you and your friends are rebels then, the lack of an occupying army suggests your victory but the fact you lack the manpower to repair your training grounds suggests your forces are depleted.”

“That’s all true, and quite soundly reasoned.” The gem admitted. “What about our longevity?”

“You told me. You fought in a war many human lifespans ago yet your appearance suggests you can’t be more than a few decades old, therefore gems don’t age, seeing as your body consists of light and a rock you are unlikely to suffer from disease. Functional immortality.”

Connie almost screamed with excitement. “That’s so cool! It’s just like my detective novels!”

“It’s easy enough once you get the hang of it. Why don’t you give it a try on me? I must warn you, I’m very… Enigmatic!” Pilot stood dramatically before breaking into a laugh.

Connie laughed as well before holding her chin to think. “Well you aren’t a gem, or a human.”

“Well gem is obvious enough, I said I only heard of them a little while ago, what makes you say I’m not human?”

“When you said humans aren’t long-lived you apologized to me, a human wouldn’t feel the need.”

“True, I’m a Kelmep, made of feelings and ideas instead of flesh and blood.”

Connie considered whether she should ask her next question, she didn’t want to offend the visitor. Eventually she decided she would ask. “Is that why you don’t use numbers?” The question took Pilot off guard, so he didn’t immediately respond. “Sorry I didn’t mean it to come out like that!”

“It’s fine, I just didn’t expect you to be so perceptive on your first try. Yes, we don’t process numbers quite as easily as other species so we tend to avoid them. I thought I was being subtle.” Pilot laughed again, “I’ll have to think of something harder for you to analyze. For now, how about that combat training Pearl?”

Pearl stood back up. “I suppose so, but I would like to see your form first. Would you like to borrow Connie’s practice sword for the sparring match?”

Pilot held his arm uncomfortably. “No thank you, I prefer to fight unarmed.” Responding to Pearl’s raised eyebrow he added, “I’m trained in fighting swordsmen though so don’t worry.”

As Pilot faced the gem from the other side of the arena Garnet and Amethyst entered the seating area and sat behind the two younger individuals. “What’s going on?” Amethyst asked.

“Pearl’s teaching Pilot how to fight better.” Steven explained. “But you should’ve been here earlier, he and Connie were so cool!”

“He’s certainly unusual.” Garnet noted.

“What do you mean? It’s not like you to judge someone by how they look.”

“I wasn’t talking about his appearance,” the fusion explained. “According to my future vision he should currently be performing backflips.” The four of them watched him, feet firmly on the ground, pressing on his knuckles rocking his head from side to side. “There wasn’t a single future where I saw him doing what he is currently doing, I can’t predict him.”

Pearl got the small crowd’s attention, “Steven? Could you tell us when to begin?”

Steven nodded. Pearl elegantly twirled her saber to realign it with the rest of her arm, though it had barely shifted at all. The nodes on Pilot’s suit hummed gently as he searched his opponent for clues of combat style and potential weaknesses, managing to glean a few.

Steven called out, “And begin!”

Pilot sped across the battlefield, expecting to find an opening for a start in his favor. Finding no such opening he quickly found himself retreating from his opponent’s onslaught.

“That was a foolhardy attack, it’s a good thing you’re so talented at dodging!” She reproached. “You can’t win with evasion alone however!”

The kelmep nodded before looping around behind her and landing a glancing blow on the gem’s side as she turned. She used the momentum to land a solid kick on his chest sending him rolling backwards quite a distance.

As he sprang back to his feet he held out his hand, a miniature flash bang between his thumb and knuckle. “Tell me, why use a sword in this day and age?” With that he flicked a barrage of pellets towards her.

Pearl sidestepped the bulk of them and knocked to the remaining out of the air with a well-timed slice. “Know how beats technology any day!”

From the seats the voice of a certain purple gem called out, “Oo! Burn!”

Pearl smiled at the comment as she lunged towards her opponent only to find that he had slid past her in the small opening she had gave him. He redirected his momentum as he leapt over her, twisting in the air to land a devastating kick. At the last moment the gem pirouetted out of the way forcing him to land awkwardly where she had stood, as he raised himself up again he felt the blade on his shoulder. “I overextended myself with the kick didn’t I?”

“You did very well.” Pearl insisted. “I think I understand your fighting style and how you could best improve it.” The small crowd erupted in cheers and applause for the two of them.

The rest of the day was spent with Pearl training her students and the new arrival with the other gems occasionally joining in. Just as they were starting to head back so that Connie’s parents could take her home, Pilot received a message from his ship. “Can somebody take me back to the barn? Axia fixed the flight response and I’d best be going.”

“Will you be joining us next week?” Pearl asked, putting the sabers away in her gem.

“I might not be able to make next week, or the week after.” Pilot admitted. “I’ll call when I can come if you give me your contact details.”

Pearl produced a small piece of card with the home phone number written on it and handed it to him. He span the card through his fingers before closing his hand around it, when he opened his hand it was gone. “How did you do that! That’s so cool!” Steven exclaimed. 

Pilot’s screen winked as he laughed knowingly.

Garnet and Pilot stepped on the warp pad first, to head to the barn, with the others warping to the temple after they’d gone. In the warp the two were mainly silent before out of the blue Garnet stated, “you really should come back. I know you’re not planning on it but you should.”

Pilot tried to play it off casually. “I know. I am amazing.”

“You know that isn’t what I meant. I’ll be honest, I have no idea what brought you here, where you came from, I don’t even know who you are, but I can feel solitude like yours a mile off.”

“I have Axi, and I meet new people all the time.”

“But you can’t remember the last time you opened up to someone new.” As the fusion said this they arrived at the barn and the Pilot fell off. “When it comes to opening yourself up to new people, Steven and Connie are a good place to start.” And with that she reactivated the warp pad and left.


	5. Worlds Beyond Imagination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pilot remembers the other reason he came back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter is considerably darker than previous chapters. If you are not comfortable with allusions to attempted rape or abuse directed to children, skip the first seven paragraphs. To summarize, Pilot's mind recalls a traumatic childhood event. END OF WARNING.

In the Maheswaran residence Pilot wound his story to a close. “So, after that I apologized to Peridot, got onto my ship and left.”

Steven raised his arm, many questions had been asked throughout the story, mainly by Connie’s parents, but this was the first time Steven had asked one. “So you’re only came back because of what Garnet said?”

“Pretty much.” Was the reply. Despite Pilot’s best efforts dark thoughts took the opportunity to come back to the forefront of his mind, the things he could never tell these children. He remembered the other reason he had come back.

A young, gray skinned girl ran through the husk of a once proud building, the voice of one of the many sick close behind her. Her sister hadn’t meant to abandon her to him, but she had and he’d… The girl blinked more tears from her eyes as she turned the corner hiding behind an outcropping. As she heard the sick man run past and his footsteps fade away she stepped out from her hiding place.

As she begun to wonder how she would find her sister again she saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her stop. Reflected in an all but shattered window pane was her face but a collection of veins beneath her eye had died off leaving a black scar. Whatever had rendered her and her sister immune to the contagion had prevented the disease from spreading to her mind but she had escaped too late, she was impure, disgusting, unworthy of ever being loved or cared about again. She didn’t know why she still cared about living but in her heart she knew she had to keep going despite being… Ugly.

A hand grabbed her, lifting her off the ground a large gray hand wrapped around her throat, she looked into the eyes of the one who had assaulted her and saw the lights of a being that did not know who it was or what it was doing, black scars crisscrossed his entire body. “Just… Let… It… Happen…”

He drew her closer to him. Almost on reflex she grabbed a knife on his belt and with the scream thrust it towards his chest.

Drenched in a cold sweat Pilot’s eyes snapped open. Lifting his head out of his hammock he stared at his suit sitting on the opposite side of the engine room, he got up, adjusting the strap across his chest, and put the suit on. Before climbing the ladder to the helm.

He usually stood at the controls for the ship but seeing as he wasn’t planning on flying anywhere he chose to sit, through the window he could see a distant city by the sea.  
“You’re up late Pilot, are you all right?” Axia asked.

“I don’t think I’ll be sleeping much tonight.”

One of the small maintenance drones which Axia used to interact with things on her ship nestled up close to her pilot, as an AI without a humanoid body it was the closest she could manage to embracing him. For a while they sat there before the AI spoke up, “I checked your schedule and you don’t have anything planned for next week, why don’t you take the Pearl up on her offer.”

“They don’t need to get tied up in my problems.”

“You have been alone ever since you became the Pilot.”

“You’re here.”

“I’m tasked with ensuring your well-being through advice and support. My advice is you make friends.”

“Why would they want a friend like me?”

“You are a wonderful person, I see it, your predecessor sees it-“

“The old man saw a terrified little girl!” Pilot almost immediately regretted shouting, with the previous Pilot now retired far away from here Axia was the only thing like a parental figure he had left.

Despite the raised voice and the reply was gentle. “He saw that little girl grow up into the brave, charming and caring young man you are today, I know he doesn’t always say it but he’s proud of you and he wants you to be happy.”

Pilot nodded and removed his helmet, a tear rolled down his cheek as he stood up. Passing the card with the gem’s phone number to the drone he stared out at the strange house built into the giant stone statue, the tiny pinprick of shadow in the moonlight he had identified as Steven merrily floating above it. “We’ll call them when the hour’s more reasonable, for now let’s try landing on that sky arena again.”

“Pilot?” Connie’s voice roused him back to the present. “Are you okay?”

“What? Oh, sorry I must’ve zoned out.”

The children smiled appreciatively, Steven chuckled, “You can’t zone out before the coolest part!” It was nice to see him feeling better.

“When you came back.” Connie added.

“You want to hear that part? Is there time?”

Connie’s parents nodded.

“Well then, to begin with I called Garnet to get everyone up to the sky arena…”

“Why did you have to change our training day this week?” Connie asked, glancing around the stream of the warp and seeing that practically every gem she knew the existence of was with her. “Is this some sort of Crystal Gem initiation?”

Lapis huffed at the idea of being involved in such an event. Garnet answer the girl. “We haven’t changed the day of your training, we’ve been invited to see something.”

Stars appeared in the youths’ eyes. “What are we seeing?” Steven asked.

“I’m not sure, should be interesting though.”

As they entered the sky arena they were met with a familiar saucer-shaped ship, now standing proudly, so large that it took up half the arena’s area. Steven stepped up to the ship. “Pilot?” He called out.

“He’s just getting ready.” The ship replied.

Steven lurched back slightly in surprise. “Axi?”

The ship gave a gentle laugh. “It’s good to see you and your friends again Steven.”

“Wait a minute! You haven’t met all of them yet!” Steven exclaimed, he ran back into the crowd of his friends and drew three of them out by the hand. “These are my friends, Lapis, Connie and Pearl.”

Whilst Lapis and Pearl only stared, in distrust and surprise respectively, Connie remembered her manners and spoke up. “It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am, I’m the person whom Pilot thought he was saving.”

“A pleasure to meet you Connie, I am Axia the ship’s AI responsible for weapon systems, archives and the Pilots well-being.”

A hatch opened on the top of the ship. “You’re selling yourself short!” Pilot hopped out of the hatch and slid down the ships chassis. “Axi here practically raised me, she still looks out for me now as a matter of fact. But I didn’t call you all here just to introduce you to Axi.”

“Then why did you?” Amethyst asked.

Pilot smiled to himself beneath the helmet. “When I first came here I told Steven that I wasn’t an alien, that is true, my species comes from earth.”

“But that’s impossible!” Pearl interjected. “I’ve been on earth for over 5000 years and I’ve not once seen a kilmap before you.”

“It’s pronounced kelmep.” He corrected. “And of course you haven’t, I am from an earth but not this one.”

“There’s more than one earth?” Steven inquired.

The Pilot held up his hand before unfurling his arm and index finger towards an area of unoccupied space, a tiny point of blue light appeared in midair which quickly expanded into a disk, this disc grew until it was roughly two meters in diameter at which point the blue light cleared from all but the edges of the disc revealing a Vista of towering skyscrapers and flying cars.

Almost everyone peered through in amazement. “Worlds beyond imagination.” Those had been the old man’s first words when he had shown Pilot a world outside his own.


	6. More Questions

In the Maheswaran’s front room the parents were shocked. “So… You…”

“Can open portals to other dimensions? Yes, yes I can.”

“How?”

Pilot shrugged. “It’s one of the main abilities inherited by the Pilot. It involves manipulating warp energy but beyond that I don’t really know. The process was invented by some guy called Archibald, speaking of, do you have any idea where Pearl might be?”

Steven shook his head. “If she’s not at the temple then she could be anywhere.”

“Oh well, it isn’t urgent and I suppose she’ll call me when she sees the note.” He looked to the two adults. “Sorry for taking advantage of your politeness for so long, I suppose you’ll want me out of your hair so you can get on with what you were doing.” He got up, picking up the towel Peridot had placed on the floor after she had been done using it.

Looking at the rain still pouring outside Priyanka stood up and raised her hand, “nonsense, we were just about to make dinner, you can at least stay for that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely, it’ll be a good opportunity for you to answer some more of my questions as well.”

“Can I help at least? You’re cooking for uh...” Pilot looked around the room. “A lot of people.”

“I’m just making stirfry,” Doug replied before asking, “Are kelmep okay with eating stirfry?”

“Stirfry sounds wonderful, thank you.”

“Good, you could set the table if you really want to help.”

So, while Doug set about to the stirfry in the kitchen and Priyanka found an appropriate place for Steven, Peridot and Pumpkin to sleep, Pilot and the two youths set the table. Soon enough dinner was complete and everyone sat up around the table.

While eating, Connie’s parents continually stole glances at their newest guest, realizing just how nonhuman he was now that he had removed his helmet again. Pilot eventually caught one of Priyanka’s glances and smiled. “You said you had questions?”

“I did? Well I suppose we do.” She looked to her husband for support, trying to think of an appropriate question so as not to offend Pilot.

In response to the look her husband blurted out, “What are you!?” She shot him a glare that caused him to dial back his line of inquiry. “Sorry, it’s just I sort of know what gems are, but I don’t know anything about your kind except the name.”

Pilot nodded as he rested his fork on his plate. “Well the states of existence are as follows, matter, energy and the data, most life, including humans, is mostly matter, some instances of life, such as gems are made mostly of energy but kelmep are made out of data, emotions and ideas. We see emotions like you see numbers, we had equations and trajectories all made out of feelings.”

“And Pilot is a kelmep rank of sorts then?”

“Huh? No. That’s just a coincidence, I’m actually the only kelmepi Pilot that has been, most of my predecessors were human.”

“I see.” Priyanka noted. “What does a Pilot do exactly?”

“Usually we bungle our way through the multiverse looking for something to do!” The kelmep laughed.

“That’s not true!” Connie insisted. “He helps to keep the multiverse together!”

“How do you do that?”

With a shrug their guest explained. “Sometimes things from one universe find their way into another, sometimes on purpose, usually by accident and it’s my job to either get things back where they belong or safely integrate the new stuff with the universe.”

For a while they were quiet but it couldn’t last. Priyanka had a question she needed answering, as a responsible adult, as a mother. “Do you ever take Connie and Steven into other dimensions with you?”

Connie flinched at the question but the Pilot stayed calm. “I do, the gems and even Greg come as well sometimes.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“There are worlds more dangerous than your own, terrible places, I don’t go to them if I can avoid it and I certainly would never dream of taking your daughter or anyone else to a dimension like that. Any risks present in worlds I take them are similar to the risks in your world.” Seeing that his answer hadn’t done much to lay the doctors concern to rest he added, “You can always come with at some point and see for yourself.”

Surprised that the offer, Priyanka checked her husband’s expression, realizing that Doug’s excitement elapsed her concern she nodded. “All right, what sort of place were you thinking of?”

“What about Little Garden?” Steven suggested.

Connie subtly shook her head at her friend, while she had enjoyed Little Garden she believed that dinosaurs and giants were not the best way to introduce her parents to these adventures. “Illia is pretty cool.”

Pilot nodded at both statements. “Those are both really fun places,” he looked up to the parents. “But it really comes down to what you guys want to see. So, what sort of world are you thinking of?”

Doug spoke before his wife. “How about where you come from, I’d like the opportunity to see what other kelmep are like.”

Steven and Connie knew the answer before it left the Pilot’s mouth. “I’m afraid my world is too dangerous at this moment and even if it wasn’t, there aren’t many kelmep left.”  
“What happened?”

The Pilot pointed to the black, reaching scar under and around his eye. “A conceptual disease. Wiped out all but a few of us and the world left behind wasn’t exactly livable.”  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

The revelation had spread like a dark cloud over the table but then the Pilot smiled. “It’s fine. A handful of us managed to escape our world, and my life hasn’t been that bad since the old man saved me.”

“Old man? Who is that?” Priyanka asked.

“He’s this really strong guy called Mighty Spark!” Steven exclaimed.

“He is the Pilot’s predecessor I think.” Connie elaborated.

“He and Axi raised me ever since they saved me from my world.” Pilot finished.

“You two have met him?” Priyanka inquired.

“Yeah!” Her daughter replied. “He lives in a cabin in the middle of this big forest.”

“Why would he live in a place like that?”

The Pilot rolled his eyes. “He’d tell you that he likes the peace and quiet but really I think it’s because he’s stronger than every beast in those woods and he likes to show off.”

“So you took my daughter to a wood full of dangerous animals?” A ripple of anger played across Priyanka’s voice as she asked this.

“Nothing too dangerous in the parts we go to, I promise.” Was the hurried response. “Besides, I can tangle with pretty much anything the dangerous parts of those woods can throw at us.”

“In that case,” Doug cautiously suggested, “Why don’t we go there?” Noticing his wife might need a little more convincing he continued, “This ‘Mighty Spark’ probably knows Pilot best and it will be a good way to judge the sort of dangers there are in other worlds.”

Deeming the points sound Priyanka agreed. “I suppose I like the sound of a walk in the forest.”

“Well, I suppose I should call the old man and arrange a time to visit.”


	7. CROWBAR?!

The rest of the meal’s conversation was generally chitchat and comparing diaries for days the visit to Mighty Spark could be achieved. When everyone was done eating Pilot made his goodbyes and headed for the door.

Before he reached it, there was a knock, Doug wove past him to answer it. At the door stood Pearl’s slender figure. Although she was still clearly still broken up about the past day’s events she seemed to have composed herself enough to have her usual level of functionality in society, in her hand she held a light blue slip of paper. She looked past Doug to the shorter person behind him. “I got your note.” She stated quietly. “Greg said you would be here.”

In the front room Pearl lay down the piece of paper on a side table she had moved to be between them all. Steven and Connie almost immediately recognized the Pilot’s rushed handwriting. “Pearl, come find me to talk if convenient. If inconvenient, CROWBAR!?!, Pilot.”

“What do you know about him?” Pearl asked.

Pilot took a deep breath before explaining, “His name was Archibald… And he was the first Pilot. I didn’t know much about him before, I just knew he was some genius who figured out how to travel between worlds and that he disappeared ages ago but that’s about it.”

“Then how are you so sure?”

“Yesterday I found a Pilot temple, a structure built by a former Pilot to house knowledge or weapons or whatever. Anyway, this one was far older than any other I’d seen and inside was a statue. Here’s a picture.” Despite its obvious age, the statue clearly depicted an old man in high fidelity, hewn out of marble with accents of obsidian. Standing in a gallant pose, he wore, not a spacesuit, but a far more traditional pilot’s uniform and clasped a crowbar in his hand and a revolver on his belt. “Is that him?”

Pearl nodded. “It is.”

“Are you… Mad at me?”

Pearl was silent for a few moments but to the Pilot it felt like an eternity, he feared losing his closest friends. The eternity ended when Pearl gave him a small smile and said, “No.” She clasped her fingers together and continued, “If living on earth has taught me one thing it’s that you can’t affect the actions of your ancestors.”

Pilot let out a joyous whoop as he embraced her, prompting a reflexive flinch, as he let her go he beamed. “Thank you Pearl! You have no idea how much this means to me!”

After they had fully separated Steven tugged on the gems sash. “What was it that Archibald did that was so bad anyway?”

Caught off guard by the question she verbally staggered for a moment. “Well I… I might be able to show you. You too Pilot, you deserve to know.”

“What you mean?” The boy asked.

“When that Pilot was still here he made a series of recordings. They were apparently of a few of his meetings with the crystal gems but he locked them with some sort of mechanism not even we understand, he said when he came back but…”

“You think I might be able to open it.” The Pilot stated.

“Exactly!”

“Wonderful! Where is it?”

“At the temple. I’ll call to have Amethyst bring them over.”

A phone call and a few minutes later a purple helicopter landed in the road outside. It quickly morphed into a short humanoid, holding a myriad of containers, who ran up to the door.

“Amethyst!” Pearl groaned. “I told you it was urgent! Did you have to make snacks as well?” She gestured towards the five boxes of popcorn the smaller gem had somehow fit under one of her arms.

“They were in the microwave when you called me P, what was I meant to do? Anyways is this the thing you wanted?” Amethyst held out the device under her other arm. It was a black box with blue wiring and extinguished lights, on one end was installed something that resembled a lens.

“Exactly right!” Pearl noted taking it from her ally. “Pilot! Do you make anything of this?”

As he poked his head out of the kitchen his gaze was met by Amethyst’s. “What are you doing here fly boy!?” She beamed. Since becoming friends the two had been getting up to mischief on a semi regular basis together.

He rushed to her. “Cool, snacks!” He attempted to grab one of the boxes of popcorn whilst the gem shifted and shoved to keep him from reaching them, both merrily laughing.

The elder gem cleared her throat. “Ahem! Pilot, the recordings?”

“Oh right! Let’s have a look.” He removed his helmet, passing it to Connie, and took up the device. “This thing runs off warp power, it’s not locked it just has no battery. I think I know how to work this. Priyanka, could you turn the lights off?”


	8. Archibald's Tapes

As the lights went out the Pilot sat in the middle of the large sofa, his hands wrapped around the device. The others sat around him. Presently the nodes on the warp suit hummed into life and glowed a gentle blue light, almost immediately the lights on the device lit up in the same dim hue. A ball of blue light floated out from the lens to the middle of the room. Once there it morphed into the shape of the elderly man, Archibald. Every part of him looked tired. 

He looked grimly towards his audience, a voice suiting the image played from the box, syncing with the image’s lips. “Pilot. I broke into their base camp to give you this warning. These recordings are for the benefit of us and any member of the Crystal Gems who you feel have a right to know the truth, if Rose Quartz or her Pearl discovered the nature of these recordings they would likely have a violent response. For this reason I suggest destabilization and containment of both before proceeding, I’m sure you can think of a feasible excuse later if you have found it necessary to ally yourself with them.” The image morphed back into a pinpoint of light.

“That was… Intense.” Amethyst murmured.

“Yeah…” The Pilot agreed, subtly reaching for one of Amethyst’s popcorn boxes before she slapped his hand away. He gave her glance to which she rolled her eyes before handing him a box and giving up another for Connie and Steven to share.

One hand still on the device he played the earliest recording. Three more points of light left the device one moving to the far side of the room while the other two joined the original.

The three close together points of light morphed into a table of sorts and two familiar gems, Pearl and Steven’s mother, who was listening to her ally’s briefing, Pearl’s voice played from the box. “So you and I will approach from here whilst Garnet, Biggs and Bismuth affect a distraction from here, that should enable us to attain the maximum resources before the attack ships are fully- oh!”

At that moment the far away pinpoint of light had morphed into Archibald. He motioned as if he was moving past a curtain of sorts or the entrance to a tent, unlike his previous somber expression he seemed to radiate bemused intrigue. Rose almost squealed with adoration. “Pearl look! A human has found its way into our tent! Look at its funny clothes!”  
“What’s that on its back? It looks like a weapon!” Pearl exclaimed drawing her sword.

“Nonsense!” Rose beamed putting her hand on her friends hilt. “Let’s just ask.” She cleared her throat and waved to the old man. “Greetings human! My friend was just wondering what that was.”

Archibald shrugged before smiling. “It’s a crowbar, it’s for opening stuff. Although I suppose you could protect yourself with it, speaking of…” He started rummaging through the bag he carried.

Pearl moved up to him. “Well that is fascinating but this really isn’t a safe place for human and we are rather busy so if you could just-“ She froze in shock as Archibald pulled a spherical gem out of his bag, she took a step back as she reached for her sword. “He’s been attacking us!”

Before Pearl could get too excited however her leader’s hand rested on her shoulder. “We don’t have any Nephites in our army yet.” Pearl lowered her weapon again as Rose asked, “Where did you get that gem?”

“There was about eight of them outside your camp when I showed up, they said something about target practice before the raid and attacked me.” He said rather jovially as he stepped forward and tipped a small pile of poofed gems on the table, which the other two hurriedly bubbled away.

“You took care of them by yourself?” She inquired. “I never expected humans to be that capable.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate what your protecting.” Archibald replied, pouring over the map on the table. “But anyway, what’s happening here, you’re attacking an air base without air support?”

Pearl nodded cautiously. “We don’t have any craft capable of flight. This is the best we can do at the moment.”

The old man deliberated with himself for a moment before grinning. “I could be your air support!”

“What?”

“I have a biplane, and a mighty fine one at that.”

“A what?”

“And I can fly it better than anyone, that I promise you!”

“Well I’d have to see this ’bi-plane’ but I suppose…”

“No.” Rose interjected. “I will not have a human put their life at risk for us.” She didn’t seem angry more concerned.

As the fearsome rebellion leader met the old man’s eyes he laughed. “Listen, I appreciate the concern but this isn’t my first war. You can’t stop me from leaving the camp and if I don’t leave with a different plan I’m going to fly over to that air base and do firing runs at two hundred hours tomorrow so either I pull a much more risky maneuver or we coordinate both our insane plans together,” he grinned at her as he held out his hand. “What do you say ma’am?”

“You certainly are persistent, very well, I accept your help. What do they call you?”

“Pilot ma’am.”

“Rose.” She extended her hand and shook his.

As the recording morphed back into points of light Connie looked up at Pearl. “I thought you said lots of humans fought in the gem war?”

She nodded. “They did, the Pilot was the one who made Rose comfortable with the idea.”


	9. Bismuth and Aqua

There were several short recordings mostly concerned with Archibald getting to know various members of the crystal gems, one had him attempting to ascertain Pearl’s status and relationship with her leader, another had Garnet explaining fusion to him, he seemed to get along well with almost everyone he spoke to there was even one where he introduced a small gang of quartzes to sumo wrestling where he acted as referee and judge.

As the recording after the sumo match started Pearl let out a small, sad gasp, as if seeing the little winged gem pained her somehow. Her small teardrop shaped gem was in the middle of her forehead. She sat on a supply crate gazing skyward. Her attention was fixed back down to the ground when Archibald came walking by. “You’re the Pilot aren’t you!”

“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss…?”

“I’m an Aquamarine, we specialize in relaying and collecting information.”

“I see. What are you doing right now?”

She smiled sadly. “Committing your planet’s beauty to memory in case the worst happens. Did you know that all but three of the planets colonized by Homeworld had some form of organic life before we took over? I don’t know why, maybe conditions best for growing gems are also the best for organic life, maybe it’s just some horrible coincidence, maybe the Diamonds are just hateful creatures.” Her sadness visibly deepened. “And we’re nothing but tools to express that hate.”

Archibald sat beside her, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and chuckled. “Even if the Diamonds are like you say, I think you asking that proves you’re not a tool, I think you have capacity to do whatever you want, Aqua.”

The small gem gave him a quizzical look, “Aqua? Has your vocal unit malfunctioned?”

“No, sorry. It was meant as a pet name, a name you give someone when you care about them.”

“Oh in that case I forgive you Pi!” She beamed at her successful integration of new information, Archibald suppressed a chuckle. “What? I think it’s a very appropriate ‘pet name’. I’ll show you my reasoning; Pi is a mathematical constant and I like mathematical constants therefore Pi is an appropriate name because I also like-“ she cut herself off and blushed heavily. 

Archibald burst out laughing and the recording ended.

A few other recordings with Aqua played, many of them involved her and Archibald working, talking or playing together and through them all it could clearly be seen that a bond was forming between them.

At the beginning of a new recording Bismuth was hammering away at some weapon when Archibald entered the scene. “Oh, hey meatball, I took the dents out of your crowbar. You sure I can’t interest you in a mace or axe?”

“No, thank you,” he smiled picking up his familiar weapon. “Old reliable has been with me through a lot, have you seen Aqua around? I was going to show her how my biplane worked.”

“Aquamarine? I think she’s on a mission for Rose at the moment, sorry.”

The old man sighed. “I suppose it can’t be helped, Aqua’s intellect is in high demand I suppose.”

“It sure is.” The gem replied before laughing. “You know it’s funny.”

“What is?”

“When you call her that she’s as happy as anything but just a few rotations ago Crazy Lace called her that and she was furious, I never thought I’d be scared of something that small!”

Archibald laughed as well. “You’re right, that is funny!” When he stopped laughing he asked, “What are you working on now?”

Bismuth grinned. “Well I was planning to keep it as a surprise for Rose but I guess I can’t expect you to keep your crowbar out of my Bismuth.” She chuckled at her own joke before lifting a device, which Steven was all too familiar with, out of the fires. “I call it the breaking point, with this baby Rose could shatter any gem instantly!”

Archibald frowned. “It is certainly a technological marvel Bismuth, my only question is if it’s terribly efficient, after all it isn’t too hard to poof and bubble enemy gems so shattering seems like a bit of a waste of life.”

“Is not for enemy Quartzes and Nephites, they’re just as oppressed as we are. This is for the upper crusts! Gems like Morganites, Hessonites, the Diamonds! When I show Rose my plan to wipe them out we’ll be one step closer to a world where gems can choose to be who they want to be! I’ve also been working on some additions to the other gems magical weapons…”

Archibald had been slowly walking out once Bismuth had mentioned the Diamonds. “Be careful when you tell Rose.” He said solemnly, the smith looked at him, perplexed. “I’d have your own weapons handy when you do.”

The recording shifted to Archibald standing in front of a portal very much like the ones the current Pilot made, he stood very still breathing heavily.

A familiar voice called out. “Pi? What you doing?” Aqua appeared as she flew towards him before gasping. “What is that!”

He turned in surprise reflexively reaching for his crowbar before lowering his hand again. “You can’t tell anyone, not even Rose, especially not Rose. It’s a gateway to another universe, as the Pilot I have the power to make them.”

“Are you going to another universe?”

The old man took a deep breath before grabbing the gems hand. “Come with me! I’ll show you all the other worlds out there, you’ll see things you never could imagine.”

“What if something happens to you? I’d be stuck in whatever world you left me in.”

“Be my apprentice! I’ll teach you all my secrets, then if I die or choose not to be the Pilot anymore you’ll be the Pilot.”

Aqua held both her hands around his and smiled. “I’d love to be your apprentice.” Archibald smiled and began to lead her through the portal, but she didn’t move. “I have one condition though, I’m seeing this war through so stay with me or come back when it’s over, I’m not leaving with you today.”

Archibald came back through the portal and closed it behind him. As Aqua embraced him he muttered, “I have a feeling this war will end soon anyway.”


	10. Pink

The Pilot looked down at the device. “I think there’s only a couple more recordings in this, but that last one doesn’t make sense. I know who Archibald’s apprentice was and he wasn’t a gem, he was an elf.”

Pearl looked down sadly while the Pilot played the next recording.

Aquamarine was celebrating with a handful of quartzes when Archibald bolted into her at superhuman speed. “Aqua! The war’s over, let’s go!”

“Pardon? Oh right! Of course. I should like to say goodbye to everyone first.”

“Goodbye?” One of the quartzes asked. “Where you going Aquamarine?”

“It’s a secret, I’ll tell you about it when I get back!”

“Well now you’ve said goodbye we should really be going!”

“Well I should say goodbye to Rose at least.”

“There’s no time!” He howled.

Aqua stared at him wide-eyed. “Pink Diamond has been shattered, the earth is free, we’re safe! What are you so worried abou-“  
the voice was cut out by interference on the device so loud that everyone watching had to cover their ears. All of the images flickered and vanished for a few moments.

When the image of returned everyone was on the ground. Archibald shakily got up first and looked at his hands. “We’re alive?”

“Pi?” A small voice croaked.

“Aqua!”

“Don’t come any closer!” She curled up into a ball as chitinous plates grew from her skin. “It hurts!” Tears began to roll from her eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’ll fix you, I promise. Then I’ll fix every gem on this planet, and if Rose isn’t damaged I’ll make her answer for what she’s let happen to you!” His hands were clenched in fists.

“Please don’t be angry at her-er-er-er-er…” Aqua’s mouth began to glitch in and out of existence.

“I-I can’t promise that, I’m not strong enough! I, I,” the old man fell to his knees and began to cry.

The blue creature’s mandibles forced a laugh. “Has your vocal unit malfuc-c-c-c” the monster let out a shrill cry as it and the more mammalian creatures turned to attack the human. Archibald closed his streaming eyes, grabbed his crowbar and took out his revolver. And thus the recording ended.

The audience held a collective feeling of revulsion and sorrow, once the implications of the recording sank in Pilot spoke up. “I think there’s one more these left, I understand if you don’t want to see it.”

“I want see how it ends.” Steven insisted, wiping a tear.

“Me too.” Connie added. “I mean I know they were gems but I guess I could never really imagine what they were like before.”

Everyone else voiced their agreement to keep watching except for Peridot who only nodded silently, thinking about just how much one of those quartzes had resembled the corrupted gem she had caught in the beta kindergarten.

The next recording started with Rose crying onto a gem, she placed it on the ground where it started to grow into a humanoid form before flickering and turning into a reptilian creature. With one last tear and a swing of her blade the creature was poofed and bubbled again.

Archibald walked in behind her, he had a scraggly beard and sunken eyes as if he had not slept nor cared for himself in days. He was wielding his crowbar.

When she saw him she raised her arms to embrace him. “Oh Pilot! It’s been two cycles I thought you were-“ she stopped in her tracks when he raised his hand revealing a round, pale gem clasped in it. “Pearl? How did this happen?”

“Sorry I didn’t come sooner, Pink.” He said dryly. “My biplane wasn’t working, that tends to happen when the planet gets hit by an electrical corruption beam.”

“Corruption? But what happened to Pearl?”

Archibald casually tossed his former ally to Rose who caught them in both hands and gently put them on the ground behind her as the old man kept talking. “When I got to this little cliffside resort of yours, I told your servant something I thought she would be very interested in knowing. Apparently, she already knew. In fact, she commanded me to never tell anyone ever, her words. Well I told her that I don’t just blindly follow orders even if she was to pretend to love me for a few centuries, she then attacked me and I defended myself.” Rose glared at him in shock and anger which before now Steven could not imagine on his mother’s face. “Mind you, awful thing this corruption, almost makes it a good thing you spared Bismuth of it.”

“What are you saying?”

“You shattered her Pink. You shattered her to keep your plot from being uncovered!”

“No! I would never-” as she yelled, Pearl reformed behind her.

The human put up an authoritative finger and in measured tone stated. “Don’t play coy with me Pink, I know that I’m not speaking to a villain, I’m speaking to a petulant child,” Rose opened her mouth to respond but he stared her down with anger enough to silence her. “I am therefore willing to forgive all your mistakes, all your failures if you do one thing,” he pulled out a small, tear shaped gem from his shirt pocket. “Fix her.”

“I can’t.”

“Fix her!” He roared waving his crowbar menacingly.

Pearl summoned her spear and placed herself in her diamond’s defense. “You have no right to speak to her like that, she’s your leader and she has years of experience a human like you could only dream of.”

Archibald put his crowbar away. “324,561.”

“What?”

“My age, in cycles.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Have you forgotten how long it has been since we met? Three hundred years! Awfully long lifespan for a human? I discovered warp energy, I might even have created it! Hell! I   
can’t remember. I hadn’t realized that it was alive and it idolizes me, some might say it loves me. It won’t let me die!” He shouted before turning his attention back to Rose. “Now fix her!” 

“I told you I can’t! She’s too far gone!”

“Did she ever tell you why she fought in your godforsaken war? She had catalogued every beautiful thing on this planet and every wonderful thing humans and gems could do without the Diamonds’ tyranny. Now look! This planet is scarred with battlefields and fallout zones, the gems are mindless beasts fated to terrorize the human population for centuries to come and for what? For Pink Diamond to have a few thousand years without her sisters’ interference,” he raised his crowbar and warped past Pearl, clashing against Rose’s shield. “I should shatter you for what you’ve done!”

The gem threw him off with tears in her eyes, Pearl went to finish him but she was stopped by Rose, “Pearl wait.” She began to sob. “You’re right, we have no idea what we’re doing, we can work together!”

“No.” Archibald growled standing up. “This is your army not mine, I owe responsibility to only one gem, do not expect me to stick my crowbar into your affairs again.” He turned to leave.

Rose reached out a hand. “Let me take Aquamarine, I’ll look for a way to fix her.”

He sadly shook his head. “I promised her an adventure, and I’ll give her one. If I find a way to fix her I’ll come back and fix the others, I will also tell each of them personally what you are.” He left and the recording ended.


	11. Goodbye for Now

Pilot set the device on the floor and slowly got up to turn on the lights. While he was making his way over to the light switch he looked back to check on his audience and noticed that Steven and Connie were in a mutual embrace of sorts. Whilst it made him worry that the recordings had been too much for them it also proved to him again that the spark was there and it was growing stronger. He noticed that someone else had seen their subconscious display of affection and gave her a knowing smile.

Priyanka was watching the embrace from the corner of her eye, and while she knew that it was a perfectly natural reaction to an alarming situation she felt that if Steven didn’t let her daughter go soon she would feel inclined to say something. This line of thought continued until she felt eyes on her. She shifted her eyes forwards suddenly to see the Pilot staring at her between quick glances at the children and smiling.

For a moment she wondered what he could possibly be communicating with that smile before the image became clear in her mind. Her daughter was growing up, despite her fears it was normal for a girl Connie’s age to think about relationships and if that was what was happening Steven was by no means the worst boy she could’ve picked. Priyanka decided she would talk to her daughter about this once Steven had gone home.

Steven managed to glance to his side at which point he realized that he was holding Connie. For a moment he considered continuing to hold her and just play dumb when she pointed it out but then he realized her somewhat overprotective parents were literally right next to them and thus he relinquished his hold. He was saddened by letting go however since he had liked his friend’s embrace it had made him feel-. “Oh no!” He thought.

Although she chose not to express it out of fear of how her parents would react, Connie was annoyed that the boy next to her had let go. His hold had made her feel comfortable and safe and she had enjoyed the smell of his-. “Oh no!” She thought.

As the lights came on Pilot proclaimed, “well I suppose it’s good to know that my predecessor was an absolute a-” he realized that children and impressionable green gems were present. “-ly terrible person.”

“I was gonna say the same thing!” Amethysts declared. “Why did you guys even put up with him P?”

“He wasn’t always that bad,” Pearl insisted. “That last recording was him when he was angry, and I suppose he had a right to be so.”

“What happened to Aqua?” Asked Steven.

“The Pilot followed through on what he said I suppose. He put her gem in a compartment of his biplane and flew off before we could stop him.” Pearl explained. “I suppose he must’ve taken her to another dimension.”

Doug looked out the window and exclaimed, “I hadn’t realized it had gotten so late!” Everybody else turned to look and saw it was indeed dark outside.

“Well, thank you for having us,” Pearl said hurriedly as she got up. “But I have to keep looking for Sapphire. Amethyst, can you take us home?”

Out of the corner of his eye Doug saw a glimmer of disappointment in the children’s eyes. “You know, if you two are going to be out looking for Sapphire then there isn’t going to be anyone at home to look after Steven. Since I was half way through getting the sofa bed out anyway, why doesn’t he stay the night here?”

“As long as it isn’t a problem for you.” Pearl replied.

Therefore, as Pearl and Amethyst left Doug finished setting up the sofa bed while Steven and Connie quietly celebrated.

“I should probably be leaving to.” Pilot stated as he picked up his helmet.

Once the Pilot was out of the door and everyone had said their goodbyes Connie and Steven went upstairs to play a bit more of their game before going to bed and Doug went up to keep an eye on them.

Before Priyanka could close the front door Pilot turned back with a smile on his helmet. “You saw it in them to, didn’t you? How long do you think is going to be before they see it?”

The mother took a deep breath, she had tried to push the fact from her head, but it seemed that their guest wasn’t going to let her. “I wouldn’t know. I’d like a year or two just to get used to the idea, but I doubt it will be that long.” The Pilot laughed at this. “What’s so funny?”

“Humans.” He responded. “You’re all just so fascinating. I’d better be going, Axi will be wondering what kept me for so long.” He grabbed the air where a rope ladder appeared then fading into existence grew the Pilot’s ship, blue and black in all of its otherworldly majesty, hovering mere meters above the ground. He climbed up the ladder, just before he disappeared into the ship he waved. “See you later Dr. Maheswaran.” Moments after he entered the ship it turned and, silently but for a gentle warbling sound, flew into the night.

In her sanctum Aqua listened to her child recount what he had seen that day. It was an interesting report, even when compared to all his others. She helped him plan their next move and then watched him retire for the night, alone with her thoughts she wondered what her dear Pi was doing now.


End file.
